Prostitution: the public health perspective.

[thatguywhojuggles]

If selling chicken breasts were illegal, people would still want to buy chicken breasts, and without government regulation, many of the chicken breasts sold would have salmonella, creating a health hazard!

 

[Professor Yaffle]

I think I remember reading that giving prostitutes HIV tests led to less condom use by clients.

 

[Foolmewunz]

What about airborne diseases?

Is havng a bunch of people shag more dangerous than sticking people together on public transport?

You mean like colds and flus? Is a brothel or strip-club-with-extras or massage parlor going to be any more a breeding ground for cold germs or flu viruses than a Day Care Center or Bakery?

(I know you can't mean STDs - STDs, by definition are "sexually transmitted" and most of those require physical contact rather than spewing fluids into the air and having the partner run under them to catch them.)

 

[rjh01]

Where I am condom use is compulsory. So the chances of getting a STD from a prostitute is remote.

 

[ImaginalDisc]

I think I remember reading that giving prostitutes HIV tests led to less condom use by clients.

That sounds suspiciously like the seat belts lead to reckless driving canard.

 

[Ivor the Engineer]

That sounds suspiciously like the seat belts lead to reckless driving canard.

How carefully would you drive if there were a 6-inch spike mounted on the steering wheel?

 

[Ivor the Engineer]

But you'll agree with me that a government or city will be far more effective in setting/enforcing rules for a legal setting?

The government enforces safety standards on booze (legal), but not on cocaine (illegal).

Are you sure you wanted to use alcohol as an example of how something being legal helps tackle the social problems associated with it?

 

[Ivor the Engineer]

Depends on how limited the legal supply is. If it is restricted to just a few areas that are difficult to get to, yes. The total demand in either case is probably the same, but it is doubtful that the amount of legal supply would be sufficient because people won't want brothels to be as common as convenience stores.

But every legal brothel would meet a certain amount of the demand.

I think demand would significantly increase if some types of prostitution were legalised because being involved in any form of prostitution (i.e. legal or illegal) would loose some of its social stigma.

 

[Professor Yaffle]

That sounds suspiciously like the seat belts lead to reckless driving canard.

Except that this was research that demonstrated this. I'll see if I can find the article later.

For the record, I have no opinion on whether prostitution should be legalised, as I don't know the research on all the possible factors well enough to make a judgement on it. I just thought I would add a snippet of information to the thread.

ETA: I'm not sure if this was where I read it, but:

However, prior HIV testing was associated with decreased condom use with their regular partners (APR=0.44, 95% Cl: 0.28 to 0.69), especially in women who tested HIV negative (APR=0.17, 95% Cl: 0.08 to 0.36).

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=19874031

I will correct my original statement in the light of this - prior hiv testing is associated with less condom use with regular partners of prostitutes (as opposed to occasional partners).

 

[Eddie Dane]

Are you sure you wanted to use alcohol as an example of how something being legal helps tackle the social problems associated with it?

Metaphors are seldom completely accurate.
Problems like addiction and violence we also associated with alcohol during the prohibition. But legalisation tackled two problems: organised crime and unsafe alcohol.

Alcohol still does huge damage. I can agree with that.

 

[I Ratant]

Where I am condom use is compulsory. So the chances of getting a STD from a prostitute is remote.

.
Anyone with ANY common sense would use a condom with a prostitute, if she doesn't demand it anyway!

 

[I Ratant]

I think demand would significantly increase if some types of prostitution were legalised because being involved in any form of prostitution (i.e. legal or illegal) would loose some of its social stigma.

.
There's a lot of prostitution here, all of it illegal of course.
The motels have large numbers of single women leaving about the usual checkout times around noon.

 

[Mister Agenda]

I remember reading about a study (a long time ago, please don't expect me to recall details) which found a lower rate of STD among prostitutes in a particular city (New York, maybe?) than among young women at nighclubs. I truly wish I could remember their methodology for determining that!

Presumably the prostitutes were more conscientious about reducing their other risk factors since their chances of exposure were so high.

 

[Roma]

Where I am condom use is compulsory. So the chances of getting a STD from a prostitute is remote.

I can't imagine how that could be monitored, where is this place of compulsory condom use and how do they check ?

 

[The Atheist]

I mean even if they all practice safe sex, other viruses and critters will still spread, won't they?
I'm thinking lice, crabs, TB.

Ever wonder why prostitutes shave their public hair? Very difficult to get crabs on a bald one. I doubt TB is much of a problem for hookers, and I suspect that people with TB don't often visit hookers, so it's an odd one to include.

NZ legalised prostitution 5.5 years ago and we haven't had a surge in any STD figures.

 

[Eddie Dane]

I don't know anything about what usually happens in brothels but the street prostitutes mainly give oral sex, I suppose a man could contract a sexually transmitted disease from a blow job, anything is possible.

Unprotected oral sex is probably not without danger for both partners.
(anyone have actual research on this?)

But if they're smart they do it the safe way, and that would make the risk minimal, I think.

I apologize for my educated guess approach here. Like I said, my knowledge of all thing medical is very limited.

 

[Baby Nemesis]

Where I am condom use is compulsory. So the chances of getting a STD from a prostitute is remote.

The risk will be reduced if condoms are always used, but it won't be "remote". See this info on condoms and a few things that can cause their use to be unsuccessful.

For instance:

According to a 2006 report by the National Institutes of Health, correct and consistent use of latex condoms:
• reduces the risk of HIV/AIDS transmission by approximately 85% relative to risk when unprotected. See overall HIV transmission rates.
• reduces the risk of gonorrhea for men by approximately 71% relative to risk when unprotected. ...

Other sexually transmitted infections may be affected as well, but they could not draw definite conclusions from the research they were working with. In particular, these include STDs associated with ulcerative lesions that may be present on body surfaces where the condom doesn't cover, such as genital herpes simplex (HSV), chancroid, and syphilis. If contact is made with uncovered lesions, transmission of these STIs may still occur despite appropriate condom use. Additionally, the absence of visible lesions or symptoms cannot be used to decide whether caution is needed.

 

[Baby Nemesis]

NZ legalised prostitution 5.5 years ago and we haven't had a surge in any STD figures.

Really? Here, STD figures are apparently going up quite fast, and they haven't legalised prostitution! But though NZ hasn't had a "surge", what about a simple rise? Even if they legalised it here, I suspect the STD rate might not go up much faster than it is now, because legalising it wouldn't necessarily mean more people visited prostitutes; and it may be that many of those who do would be generally more promiscuous and thus in a higher-risk category anyway.

 

[Professor Yaffle]

Some New Zealand STI information:

http://www.bpac.org.nz/magazine/2009/february/sti.asp

 

[rkzenrage]

The problem is that no one has the right to tell someone else what they can or cannot do with their body.